We were having dinner the other day with another couple, and from the moment we sat in, the guy requested separate tabs. I thought it was great to save us some time when the bill comes, and avoiding awkward situations if you don’t have the correct change or your friends forgot the add the tip with their shares. The norm in Guatemala is at the end of the meal, the guys would split the bill and invite the girls. But having two tabs was even better.
As we spoke about that, the guy said that when they go home, he would also charge his girlfriend for what she had eaten. Now that sounded strange to me. They both had roughly the same thing so it was not like one person having a first and water and the other one three courses and five beers. When we go out with BF, we just put the tab on our joint finances. He does generally eat more but I don’t care and prefer to have one less thing to think about rather than charge him for the extra dessert.
Same thing at home, he eats more than me, more meat, drinks coffee and pop while I drink water or blend smoothies, and has vodka or gin when I have a beer, but we split the grocery bill in two. I wonder if those guys check out what they each eat at home as well. They have been together about 8 years and it seems to work for them like that.
Which got me thinking that what is weird to me is normal to them. But it cannot be the first time people point it out to them. What do people often point out about me? BF gets crazy when I try to get back my $0.25 when I get overcharged at the supermarket or in a restaurant. I hate all things unfair and this is pretty high on my list so you can be sure I’ll spend 15 minutes getting the bill rectified, even for a small amount.
Other people often notice that I don’t like to split the tab. I will generally pick it up, independently of your sex, unless you beat me to it first. But I hate ruining a nice moment by figuring out who owes what. If you let me pick the tab three times in a row however, you probably won’t see me again, unless it is a free activity, or we go to your place. Again, I like things fair.
Your turn, what is your strangest money habit? What do people pick on you for?
People pick on me because I usually pretend I don’t want something when I really do! Do you want a beer? NO! Drink? NO! Of course, I really do but don’t want to tell people I’m really watching my money and paying off debt. Some people poke fun. When I am ordering, I add up everything in my head so I can calculate what I can afford.
I used to do that too, now I just have the beer, because I enjoy it and a bit because of social pressure. Not in Guatemala where a beer is $1 but having another $13 beer in Paris makes me want to drink less!
When we´re out having dinner with others, BF usually pays for us; but then when we get home, I make sure that he gets my half, unless he says it´s on him. He never asks for anything, but I don´t want to take anything for granted. I have this thing about making things fair. But then again, we always split the grocery bill in half; anything else would be too weird and time consuming. Nor would I like to point out that he eats more than me; come on, he´s a grown man; he needs more food than me. That´s just how it is.
I like to even things out as well, but won’t go counting calories! That couple who split restaurant bills based on what they had may be doing that at home too, I imagine.
Oh great topic! The boy and I usually put in equally when at big group dinners, but the two of us, we’ll take turns?! I will usually leave a tip (a few dollars, as it’s not necessary in Aust), but I won’t use an ATM that’s not mine (which would charge about as much as tip). weird, but true!
We’re just ironing out the living together costs and bill splitting – once we get a joint account. At the moment, it’s mostly a ‘turns’ thing… Which is ok, but I was stressed about money on Sat and he stood there whilst I paid for the second lot of groceries!!
I hate ATM fees too, and would walk some more to find a free one haha.
My biggest habit which may or may not be strange to others is that I always want to find a deal or discount on every purchase I make. Many times it actually creates stress for me rather than just making a simple purchase. In some ways, it is like a game. An individual game based on the one purchase and a larger game when it comes to my overall financial strategy. If I can save $5-10 per purchase on hundreds and thousands of purchases, it all adds up and leave a lot remaining in my bank account, which then draws more interest, etc.
I also try to go for a bargain but would not spend more than 10min looking for coupons, I feel after that it’s not worth the time. I can spend days researching flights however.
My biggest money habit was always wanting to pay for my wife when we were dating back in the day. She’s fiercely independent so it was always interesting how she seemed a bit upset when I paid but I know she appreciated it.
she does, for sure. I would play the independent card too, and try to give back something, say bring you a cake the next time or prepare a picnic to invite you and even things out.
Ha! I don’t know what my strangest money habit is~! I suppose it’s that I never, ever carry cash.
hoarding floss maybe? lol. I wish I could go sans cash but rare are the shops that would accept a credit card here. Plus I have a fear of not having money on me, I would hate to be in a bar with friends for example, to find out they have to pay for me because the bar wouldn’t accept the card.
And you would be really, really sorry if you went to Amish country — I just got back from a trip to Shipshewana, IN, where I cheerfully went, credit cards in hand, as usual, and only a few checks and a little cash with. Turns out that grocery and other stores there don’t accept credit cards — just checks and cash. If my mom hadn’t been along, with a goodly supply of checks, I’d been in big trouble.
that is what I fear when I travel too, being left with no cash in the middle of nowhere, but if you stick to your daily routine and know you won’t need cash that should be fine.
I guess if that works for them then hey to each his/her own. I don’t know what I would consider my strangest money habit. I know I have no problem buying for others but I would rather save my money instead of spending it on myself.
I have a hard time treating myself in the clothing and pampering department. Travel and food I do a much better job.
Good topic! I don’t know that it’s odd or not, though my wife always picks on me for it – I always try to get change back so I can get quarters and nothing else. It’s always funny to watch a cashier try and figure out in their head the amount of change they need to give back.
What do you do with quarters? Just in case the washing machine breaks? Secret phone calls at the block’s booth? 🙂
I couldn’t think of one and asked John; his response? ‘Oh, it probably will have to do with one of your minor absessions but usually they are not minor.’ Not much help! I think that one of my strangest money habits is that I have started being really hung up on getting value. This gives me the strength to stand up for what I want – for instance, I told the taxi driver who brought us to the hotel where we are now that if he continues the excursion around the nearby hill, he won’t get paid at all.
I do find very strange splitting the bill by what people have eaten (except on business trips); we have friends who do it and I accept it but don’t enjoy it.
I’m sure I have wierd money habits, but do them so often use grown to think of it as normal. =)
I’m a believer in equally dividing up the meal per person unless I’m eating out with a friend who orders filet mingon with truffles and three glasses of Johhny Walker Blue. Most of my friends are not the type to overspend at a restaurant so we just split by number of people. In my opinion, while your friend might order a second beer at dinner, the next lunch meetup you go to you end up ordering the expensive seafood special so the money spent by all parties evens out in the long run. I get that it’s hard for larger groups which is why I hate eating in large groups–getting the check is just too stressful. The only time I will request separate checks is when I’m eating with 4 additional people (who aren’t relatives) or more because it really minimizes the check drama.
also, here’s a great link on splitting per person vs. splitting based on what you ordered: http://www.theawl.com/2011/03/how-to-split-a-check-at-a-restaurant
My strangest money habit is that I build my own piggy banks and tape and glue it to prevent me from opening it. But after just a month or two, even if it is not yet full, I don’t know what but there’s something that urges me to open it every time I build one of those.
Not sure if this is strange or if I’m just getting more ornery in my old age– I insist on stores honoring their coupons, even through I almost never use them. If they suckered me in there based on a coupon or deal, and then the cashier doesn’t want to give me that dollar off (or even twenty five cents!) because of some lame excuse… I’m sorry. It may be uncomfortable for everyone involved, but that kind of bait and switch just won’t stand in my book. I know that if they are doing that to me there are countless others getting the same treatment.
Good topic Pauline. When we were dating back, we used to pay in turns and was pretty fair on each other.
Wow, good question. That one from your friend is definitely really strange. I’m having trouble thinking of my own on the spot, though I’m sure my wife would help if she was around. I’m not sure how strange this is anymore, but there’s a pretty good percent of the time that I have $0 in cash on me. It almost never matters, but there are those occasional instances where I need cash and I’m just out of luck.
I guess mine would be I find it harder to spend money using a credit card than I do spending cash. Which is probably why I never carry cash.
Hey Pauline, great post. I think my strangest money habit is the need to continuously count my change. I mean, it’s an addiction! I have a bunch of change saved and I set aside time every Saturday to sit down and count it all manually. I have a machine that counts it for me but, there’s just something about touching every coin. Strange, yes but, at least I’m not telling my fiance to pay me for what she eats, lol. Thanks for the great read!
And do you check that you have $6.43 or you just want to know how much you have? I have no idea how much change I have, sometimes I count just to see if I need to go to the bank, my boyfriend always keeps on excel how much is in his wallet to the penny.
I am not sure if I have a weird money habit. I don’t really think about it much and I haven’t found anyone that makes fun of me for doing something with money that is out of the norm.
It’s always interesting to see how other couples handle their money. I don’t consider this strange but for many of those who live by us it would be atypical, but I handle the money, which is not really a surprise. We have a joint account so it’s not like my husband gets lunch money from me or anything like that! 🙂 We set our goals together but I’m the holder of the purse, I guess. When he bought a new SUV maybe 8 years ago, I told him the amount he could spend and he even came in under budget. 🙂
People think that’s it’s strange/weird/cool that my boyfriend and I alternate when it comes to paying for our meals. They think it’s even stranger that we don’t keep tabs on who pays for the expensive as opposed to who pays for the cheaper meals. But to us, the system works well – we pay for each other regardless, and if the person paying can’t afford a more expensive meal, it’s no big deal!
It can be difficult to identify your own strange money habit because, to you, it’s probably not that strange! If I asked my wife, I’d venture to guess she’d say I nag her too much about smaller purchases being a waste of money. I’m much more fiscally conservative than she is so when she makes “trivial” purchases here and there that seem unnecessary, oftentimes I’ll object because “these things add up!” She’s probably sick of hearing me say stuff like that.
My strangest money habit is I have no problem buying a semi-expensive lipstick at around $10-$20 but I refuse to spend $2 on a can of pop 😛
I’m not sure how I would respond if someone asked for my share of dinner after returning home. Since my husband and I have a joint account, I suppose I’ll never have to! My strangest — read dumbest — spending habit is loading up on sale items instead of investing in one item I like better than all the sale stuff. I have a hard time spending $75 on one item and feel better if I use that money toward 5 items. Not always smart!
Our accounts are merged, so even if my husband pulls out his credit card, my credit card is linked to the same account. We really didn’t have this problem of splitting stuff when were dating. He picked up the tab, or I picked up the tab.
I definitely called for a price adjustment this week when I was overcharged 26 cents on a nectarine. *hangs head in shame*
That situation sounds very odd, but after 8 years it must be working. I think it’s nice to keep things equal as long as it doesn’t border on obsessive. (You ate 2/3 of that appetizer! You still owe me $1.50!)
I don’t know if I have a “strange” habit. My boyfriend eats a hell of a lot more than I do, but we still split on groceries. He thinks I am crazy because I refuse to buy things not on sale. I also refuse to go to ATM’s to avoid fees. I drink water at restaurants constantly to save on costs.
I prefer separate checks at restaurants except for really close friends. I never ever carry cash! I either make sure I am going to a restaurant that accepts credit cards or my wife carries cash. I heard that the Prince of England does the same thing and someone pays for everything. Does that make me a prince? 🙂
I’m open to whatever suits the people I’m with, in terms of how the bill will be paid. I suppose I’m easy going that way in that I’m cool with splitting checks up front, splitting after the bill comes, or just taking turns paying the whole thing. However, I do keep score and if over time I’m paying more or paying all the time, I won’t be meeting up unless free. That part is like how you described how you would handle such a situation.
Wow, I can’t imagine trying to charge my wife (or her charging me) for part of the bill when we eat out. We don’t have fully unified finances, but it would be silly to be that separate, why even eat together!
It seems a bit strange for people in a committed relationship to be splitting bills. The way I look at it, is if you are building a future together there shouldn’t be “yours” and “mine”. That said, up until recently my partner earned more than me so its easy to say that!
My strangest money habit is whenever I catch a taxi, I will always walk in the direction of home first. Taxi comes around the corner but I’m only a few blocks from where I started? Keep walking! Usually after a few km I give in and get a cab, but at least this gets me out of the congested part of downtown so my fare is paying for me to be moving, not sitting stationary in traffic.
I wouldn’t have joint finances even in marriage but I share your opinion about splitting everything in half and not pinching pennies on who had what.
I would walk as well instead of sitting in traffic with the meter driving me crazy!
Great idea , Pauline, as the comments made for some very amusing reading. When a cashier asks if I have the change to make up a dollar, say 6 cents or a penny or what have you, I always say no, even if I have it right in my pocket. The reason is simple. I love having all the loose change to toss into our Funny Money Account which amounts to a jar and a Tupperware container on the counter. But if we save all those coins for a few months, paying a lot with cash as we do, it can buy quite a few pints and TouchTunes. Have a blue moon Wednesday!
I don’t like coins very much, I find them dirty, but that is a great idea to ramp up your savings without feeling it too much! Here you can wait 10 minutes until the person goes to 3 shops around to ask for change so usually I try to give my change.
I fight for $0.25. Even $0.01. Maybe it embarrasses people but it’s my money not theirs (BF does it too, and eggs me on).
But we also have a great relationship where we pay 50/50 for everything. Something like a meal is iffy. If it was my friends, I’d pay for the meal and cover his half, if it was his, he pays for me.
If they’re mutual friends or it’s ambiguous (family stuff), we split the cost unless one of us specifically says: We’re paying… or when we invoice each other at the end of the month we either put the dinner on that invoice or not.
We’re pretty fair / relaxed compared to your above example but some people might look at our situation with horror.
I would have a hard time invoicing at the end of the month for being so disorganized I’d rather just have a joint account for the common stuff even if it is my or his account and you trust the other one with putting money there when the balance is low.
My strangest money habit since moving to France is my new found inability to buy a bottle of wine in a restaurant.
The “pichets” of wine (50cl) in our most local restaurant are €3. So, spending €25 on a bottle elsewhere (especially those from a local vinyard that we’ve vistied and know cost €5 or less wholesale) is now impossible for me. Water with the meal, wine when I get back in!!
which part of France do you live in? I am used to Paris an South East price and 3 euros would really be a bargain, usually it is more like 6-8 euros.
We are currently living in Marseille. Some places are expensive, but its much less dear than Paris. Generally, its €4-€8 for a pichet, but our local is a bargain!!
I don’t think it’s weird for couples to split bills. My boyfriend and I sort of do this. We take turns paying every time we go out.
My strange habit is treating received cash as “throw away”. It is extremely rare for me to ever receive cash as a form of payment, but on the rare occasions that I do, I typically disregard it. 9 times out of 10, it is going straight into the armrest of my car as either emergency gas money or spare change for homeless people I happen to drive by. It probably would be best for me to put it in a piggy bank or something, but my brain doesn’t always function properly. Lol